Lady Forge

There are several solutions out there that you can purchase for tanning your hide hair on or hair off. I sometimes do my own and sometimes I send them out to a company that does them for me.Vandykes, Wasco and even Cabelas sell solutions for hide tanning and there not real expensive.I used a solution from cabelas called DEER HUNTERS HIDE TANNING FORMULA 8oz bottle will tan one deer hide( TO TAN HAIR ON )You start by cleaning the hide of all flesh and fat. Salt the flesh side of the hide thoughly using table salt ( I found a large buck requires about 6 to 8 containers of salt each time ) fold the hide up using flesh on flesh fold and roll up let sit for 24 hours.Scrape off old salt and resalt hide and fold flesh on flesh and roll up and let sit another 24 hours. Scrape off salt. Prepare a salt bath by mixing 1/2 lb of table salt per gallon of hot water. Mix until all salt is melted and water has cooled and emerse hide in salt bath. I use a large rock to weight down hide and keep it submarged in the salt bath because it will want to float up out of the water. Let the hide sit submerged for up to 16 hours or until the hide is soft and flexable. Remove hide and rinse and let drain. Use a sharp item to remove any remaining membrane from hide. Wash hide with warm water and Dawn dish soap to remove all salt and fat from hide. Rinse clean and hang to drain.When hide is drained and still soft and flexable and at room temp warm hide solution in hot water and apply to flesh side of hide using rubber gloves or paint brush. Massage into all areas of the hide. Fold the hide with the solution on it flesh on flesh and let sit for 16 hours at room temp away from direct heat. Open the hide up and let the drying process begin this will take around 3 days. As the hide drys periodically pull and stretch the hide until soft and flexable. If there are still some stiff spots just dampen with warm water and reapply solution. Once all this is done you can further soften hide by thinning hide using coarse sandpaper or a wire wheel or running hide over a heavey hemp rope.
Or you can send your hide to a tanner. I use a company that does very nice work but you will have to wait for close to a year to get your hide back, SEBRING CUSTOM TANNING #(863)655-1600 BLDG. 727,Sebring Air Terminal. Sebring, FL 33870. They charge around $20.00 to tan a hide with the hair on. Good Luck with your hide.